Trump signs $200bn Qatar deal after hailing meeting with Syria’s ‘young, attractive’ president: Live updates
Donald Trump signed a deal with Qatar for its state carrier, Qatar Airways, to buy jets from the U.S. manufacturer Boeing as part of a deal worth $200 billion.
This comes after Trump hailed the Syrian president as a “young, attractive guy” after the first meeting between the nations’ leaders in 25 years.
The meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday came after the president made a surprise announcement that the U.S. would lift all sanctions on Syria, saying it would give the country a “chance for greatness.”
Trump praised Ahmad al-Sharaa in a dramatic turnaround for a former al-Qaeda member for whom America had previously put out a $10 million reward.
In their meeting, Trump urged al-Sharaa to normalise relations with Israel, while the Syrian leader invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas.
The first leg of Trump’s tour saw him sign a $142 billion arms deal in Saudi Arabia. In a speech to Saudi leaders, Trump also gave an ultimatum to Iran as he said he wanted to “make a deal” with the country and make “the world a safer place”.
Trump’s visit to Qatar has been overshadowed by a backlash against the country’s proposed gift of a $400m luxury plane.
